1. My Rifle, My Pony And Me – Dean Martin – From the soundtrack to Howard Hawks excellent cowboy movie "Rio Bravo", this is a pure Western song, with Martin's slow sweet, snoozy end of the day singing. Besides which, he is right. Who needs anything else? – Grade: B+
2. I Confess – kd Lang – I spent quite a lot of 2011 trying to move the needle on this little stunner to little avail. Perhaps the explicitly lesbian romance in the video was keeping it from its natural, somewhat older, audience – Grade: A
3. Rusty Stab – Shinobi Ninja – SB is a band, but it is a band lead by D.A. and here D.A. writes a dance track hidden in a rap song for the ages – Grade: A
4. Am I That Lonely Tonight? – Justin Townes Earle – Months after its initial release, fewer months after his disappointing set at Webster Hall, this remains one of the top five songs of the year – Grade: A
5. Coma Girl – Joe Strummer And The Mescaleros – I am so happy that one of the songs Joe was most pleased at the end of his life, hence the introduction at Acton Town Hall, is such a joyous ruckus – Grade: A
6. All My Friends – LCD Soundsystem – How can one note be so catchy? – Grade: A+
7. Stoned Part 2 – Lewis Taylor – Shoulda been a funk contender – Grade: A-
8. Honolulu Blues – Craig Finn – The album was ignored, the live show, irrelevant – Grade: A
9. Whenever I Close My Eyes – The Shapeshifter Ensemble – Brooding beauty – Grade: B+
10. We Got Bitches – Odd Future – Channels Ol' Dirty Bastard – Grade: B+